Half sample (Form A):
"In some schools, there are students with emotional or behavioral problems, such as
drinking, drug use or frequent fighting. Overall, do you think it is better FOR THE
PROBLEM STUDENTS THEMSELVES to be kept in regular classes or is it better FOR THE PROBLEM
STUDENTS THEMSELVES to be separated from other students?"

Keep them in regular classes

30

34

27

Separate from other students

56

55

57

Depends (vol.)

7

7

8

Don't know/No answer

6

4

8

.

Half sample (Form B):
"In some schools, there are students with emotional or behavioral problems, such as
drinking, drug use or frequent fighting. Overall, do you think it is better FOR THE OTHER
STUDENTS IN THE SCHOOL to keep these students in regular classes or is it better FOR THE
OTHER STUDENTS IN THE SCHOOL to separate the problem students from other students?"

Keep them in regular classes

23

23

22

Separate from other students

67

66

67

Depends (vol.)

5

7

3

Don't know/No answer

5

4

8

.

"If a student
frequently gets into fights with other students, do you think that student should be
expelled from school, remain in school but put into special classes, or remain in the same
class and be punished for each offense as it occurs?"

Expelled from school

21

21

21

Put into special classes

48

48

48

Remain in same class

26

25

26

Don't know/No answer

5

6

5

.

"In some communities,
children with chronic behavioral problems, such as fighting in school, using drugs, or
drinking are removed from the regular school system and placed in an alternative school
with other students like themselves. Generally speaking, do you favor or oppose this
practice?"

Favor

64

64

63

Oppose

30

31

28

Don't know/No answer

6

5

9

.

"Some people say that
alternative schools for students with serious emotional or behavioral problems help these
students by giving them the attention and discipline they need. Other people say these
alternative schools only serve to make their problems worse by taking students out of the
mainstream and putting them with other problem students. What do you think? Do alternative
schools generally help students with emotional or behavioral problems, or do they
generally make these students' problems worse?"

Generally help

49

49

49

Generally make problems worse

31

32

30

Don't know/No answer

20

19

21

.

"Do you think by the
time students with emotional and behavioral problems are 16 or 17 years old it is too late
to intervene and change their behavior, or can their behavior still be changed if they
receive help?"

Too late

12

12

12

Can still be helped

85

85

85

Don't know/No answer

3

3

3

.

"Would you be willing
to pay an additional $100 a year in taxes if the money were to be used to help set up an
alternative school in your community?"

"When
there are a large number of non-English speaking students in a public school, these
students are usually taught using one of the following two methods. After I read both
methods, please tell me which one you prefer:
Bilingual education, which means teaching these students their core subjects such as math
and history in their native language, while providing them gradual training in how to read
and speak English.
Immersion, which means teaching these students all of their subjects in English, while
giving them intensive training in how to read and speak English."

"As you may know,
charter schools operate under a charter or contract that frees them from many of the state
regulations imposed on public schools and permits them to operate independently. Do you
favor or oppose the idea of charter schools?"

ALL

Public
School
Parents

%

%

Favor

42

40

Oppose

47

47

Don't know

11

13

.

"Charter schools
are, as indicated, usually freed from many of the regulations that govern public schools.
As I read each of the following areas, would you tell me whether or not you would be
willing to grant an exemption to charter schools in that area? . . ."

"Here
are a number of educational areas that receive government funding. To indicate how high a
priority you think each area should have, would you mention a number between one and five
-- the higher the number, the higher the priority; the lower the number, the lower the
priority?

1

2

3

4

5

Unsure

%

%

%

%

%

%

"Update
instructional materials and books"

2

2

4

20

72

-

.

"School
staff development and training"

2

2

8

23

65

-

.

"Technology"

2

3

9

25

61

-

.

"Keeping
teachers' salaries competitive"

2

4

12

28

54

-

.

"Class-size
reduction"

3

4

16

26

50

1

.

"As
you may know, many of the nation's public schools are in need of renovation and
modernization. Thinking about the public schools in your community, how serious do you
consider each of the following problems: very serious, somewhat serious, not very serious,
or not at all serious?

"Overall, how satisfied are you with the quality
of education students receive in kindergarten through grade twelve in the
U.S. today? Would you say you are completely
satisfied, somewhat satisfied, somewhat dissatisfied or completely
dissatisfied?"

"Students
are often given the grades A, B, C, D, and Fail to denote the quality of their work.
Suppose the public schools themselves, in your community, were graded in the same way.
What grade would you give the public schools here: A, B, C, D, or Fail?"

.

A & B

48

47

51

55

58

62

A

11

10

11

17

16

19

B

37

37

40

38

42

43

C

31

34

30

31

30

25

D

10

10

8

10

8

8

Fail

5

3

5

3

3

4

Don't know

6

6

6

1

1

1

.

"How
about the public schools in the nation as a whole? What grade would you give the public
schools nationally: A, B, C, D, or Fail?"

"A
proposal has been made that would allow parents to send their school-age children to any
public, private, or church-related school they choose. For those parents choosing
nonpublic schools, the government would pay all or part of the tuition. Would you favor or
oppose this proposal in your state?"

"Do you support or oppose
providing parents in low-income families with tax money in the form of
school vouchers to help pay for their children to attend private or
religious schools?"

%

Support

51

Oppose

40

Don't know

9

.

"Should
private schools that accept taxpayer-funded vouchers be required to accept
all students who apply, or should they be allowed to choose which ones they
accept based on grades, talents or other factors?"

%

Required to accept all who apply

56

Allowed to choose

37

Don't know

7

.

"If vouchers were available to
help send your child to private school, would you take them or not?"
Asked of those with
children living at home.

"Would you
support or oppose having the government give parents in low-income families
money to help pay for their children to attend a private or religious school
instead of their local public school?"

%

Support

50

Oppose

47

No opinion

3

.

If "Support":
"Would you support or oppose that if it meant less money for
the public schools?"

"Which comes closer to your view?[Rotate:]
The
government should spend money to assist low-income families who want to send
their children to religious schools. OR, The
government should spend no money for children to attend religious schools."

"Now Id like to ask
you about some of the proposals that President Bush has made about what he would do as
president. Id like to know if you favor or oppose each specific proposal and whether
or not you think as president Bush can accomplish his goal. ... Bush has proposed giving
parents of school children government-funded vouchers that could be used to pay private or
parochial school tuition under some circumstances. Do you favor or oppose such a
proposal?"

%

Favor

55

Oppose

39

Don't know

5

.

"Now, as president, do you
think Bush will be able to put in place such a school vouchers program or not?"

"Let me read you two
positions on school vouchers. Between these positions, which do you tend to side with
more? Position A: Government should give parents more educational choices by providing
taxpayer-funded vouchers to help pay for private or religious schools. Position B:
Government funding should be limited to children who attend public schools."

"Congress is
currently considering various plans to improve the quality of the nation's public schools
in kindergarten though 12th grade. As I read each of the following plans, would you tell
me whether you favor or oppose that plan? ...
Allowing parents to build tax-free accounts that they would use to pay tuition and other
expenses at private and church-related schools."

"There is always a
lot of discussion about the best way to finance the public schools. Which do you think is
the best way to finance the public schools: by means of local property taxes, by state
taxes, or by taxes from the federal government in Washington?"

ALL

Public School
Parents

1998

1986

1998

1986

%

%

%

%

Local property taxes

21

24

19

28

State taxes

33

33

31

32

Federal taxes

37

24

41

28

Don't know

9

19

9

12

.

"Would you be willing
or unwilling to pay more taxes to provide funds to improve the quality of the nation's
inner-city public schools?"